As we continue to endure the evil uprising that is being led by Simon Cowell, under no illusion that this onslaught of inane, uninspired pop ‘music’ will ever end, we should take a moment to appreciate the genuine talent we have nurtured organically (even if it’s not being rammed down your throat every Saturday night).
There is something monstrously unjust in a world that is captivated by throwaway, manufactured pop music and fails to recognise the wealth of joy that is to be devoured in an immensely talented band such as Young Knives. They certainly know how to craft a quirkly, sharp, infectious pop song and, with the release of their third album ‘Ornament’s From the Silver Arcade‘, they’ve proved they have staying power that last’s longer than 15 minutes.
Young Knives’ debut single, ‘The Decision‘, now revered as one of the band’s finest pieces of work, did not even chart on its initial release in 2005. A smart, zany, Smiths-esque inspired slice of indie guitar pop as good as this deserves more appreciation – eventually it did, charting at number 60 on its re-release almost a year later. In today’s climate it’s even tougher to get noticed, but a triumphant performance at London’s Lexington was a wet dream come true for their loyal following who know good music when they hear it – a crowd that included the likes of Art Brut‘s Eddie Argos.
Touring in support of third LP, the band were in fine form, delivering a polished performance and looked very much at ease on the stage of this very intimate venue. It might only pack in a few hundred lucky punters, but this only made it feel all the more exclusive. Young Knives aren’t the sort of band that should be experienced on a stage with a 10 mile gap between their amps and the audience as the sound gets blown in multiple directions by the wind. You want them to see the whites of your eyes and be within reach of an ill advised song request.
The setlist drew heavily from their new album, occasionally dipping into the past for good measure. It might not have faired very well in the charts, but tracks from the new record slotted into the setlist like they’ve always been there and avoided any tumbleweed moments that a band could be faced with when airing young material. The new album has been available for your procurement since April, but with hits such as ‘He’s Attracted To‘ and ‘Terra Firma‘ to complete with, the newbies still pulled their weight.
‘Human Again‘ – an exhilerating three and a half minutes of spiky guitars and sweet melodies, was among the best received songs of the evening, culminating in pogo-ing and what could almost be described as a mosh pit scenario from a crowd that varied from teenagers to middle aged men. ‘I Love My Name‘ proved to be as awe inspiringly brilliant as the album version, boasting a meaty riff and thumping drum beat that best exemplifies the virgin territories which the band are now exploring.
‘Vision in Rags‘, which climaxes with the repeated refrain ‘years..years..years’, was stretched out at least three times longer than the album version, with neither guitarist completely sure of when to end it, and concluded with frontman Henry Dartnall commenting on how he should “really decide on when to end that song”, much to the amusement of bassist, Thomas ‘House of Lords’ Dartnall.
Despite the band ticking all the right boxes and everything else being in place for what can easily be described as a textbook gig, the evening was slightly spoilt by a fan who had overdone it on the bacardi breezers. As the band left the stage and anticipation grew for an encore, someone decided to try and steel a guitar pedal. “Which bastard stole my pedal?”, Henry wryly asked on his return to an audience that was now one less in attendance as the guilty party had already fled. In what was almost a premature end to the show, the band managed to overcome the technical setback and play a couple more songs, despite it still cutting short the length of the encore.
In essence, what this meant was the absence of ‘She’s Attracted To‘, which the band surely had up their sleeve for the end, though ‘Terra Firma’ did more than enough to provide a glorious end to the show.
Young Knives seem to have found their feet in the last couple of years and grown into themselves. The contrast of old favourite ‘The Decision’ against the sexy swagger of ‘I Love My Name’ demonstrates a versatility and a testament to the band’s development in songwriting. On stage they appear confident, and masters of their trade. Their sharp wit and side splitting banter sandwiched between the songs portrayed a mood in the band that was contagious in the venue. “This is a song from when we were on a major label..we were on banners and everything” quipped singer, Henry when digging out earlier material.
Young Knives’ unfortunate loss in commercial viability is our gain, but it’s hard not to be selfish when you’ve witnessed the band at the peak of their powers within spitting distance.
